Cindy Reid, Artistic Director

Danced with Ballet Repertory Co. (formerly ABT II) in New York City. Nutcracker at Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago for three seasons. Studied on full scholarship at ABT with Valentina Pereyaslavic, Leon Danilien, Patricia Wilde, also at the Joffrey School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, with Larry Long in Chicago, Ballet Guild and Village School. Guest artist with Robertson Ballet (Binghamton) and Rainbow Arts Dance Co. (Corning). Conducted master classes at Elmira-Corning Ballet Co. and Cedar Arts Center in Corning. Guest adjudicator for Southern Tier Civic Ballet.

Rachel Myers, Ballet Master

Rachel grew up in Ithaca, NY, where she trained at the Ballet Center of Ithaca and Ithaca Ballet. After receiving her BFA in ballet from University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM), she went on to dance professionally in Ohio and Kentucky, before returning to Ithaca. While dancing with Ithaca Ballet, she had the privilege of performing roles such as Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), and Cinderella (Cinderella). She is an active member of the teaching faculty at the Ballet Center of Ithaca as well as an Instructor of Ballet at Ithaca College. Rachel is also a Suzuki violin teacher, a trained life coach, and is currently pursuing further education in dietetics.

Dan Paolangeli, LIGHTING DESIGNER & MASTER ELECTRICIAN

COURTNEY MCGUIRE, PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGER

Courtney began working with the Ithaca Ballet in 2004 as a way to give back to the ballet while my daughter, Sarah Olsen, was dancing. She has been an athlete all my life, but being a part of the ballet was never something she thought she would be doing. In the beginning, she and her partner would volunteer their time to help backstage with props and sets and, over time, they have become more permanent fixtures of the Ithaca Ballet crew.

AMY OPPERMAN CASH, MARKETING DIRECTOR

A longtime supporter of Ithaca Ballet, Amy is now doing marketing and promotion for the Ithaca Ballet. She brings marketing and publicity experience from her role at Larson Publications, the Preston Thomas Memorial Lecture Series at Cornell, and promotion for the Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble and numerous arts events in the local area. As a piano teacher and lifelong lover of the arts, she is strongly committed to bringing more attention to arts activities in the Ithaca community. Her daughter was a student and company member of the Ithaca Ballet for several years.

JANET OLSEN, PROPERTIES MANAGER

Janet started volunteering with the ballet when her daughter Sarah Olsen began dancing. When Sarah moved on to college and then grad school Janet stayed with the ballet. Janet has been here long enough to see the little lambs grow up to become company members. She loves watching the dancers grow and develop, catching up with the parents and hanging out with “the crew”.Janet is grateful to Alice for offering her this opportunity and to Cindy for keeping her around.

MIKE GARRETT, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Mike’s interest in theater began at a young age, but it was not until his junior year of high school he was introduced to technical theater by his roommate. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in animal science, but was most seen in the Schwartz Center’s scene shop, where he began as Stage Carpenter, rising to Lighting Designer and eventually Technical Director for Leonard Bernstein’s Mass in 2009. He also worked as Technical Director for Running to Places Theatre Company, Melodramatics Theatre Company, and Risley Theatre. He currently is the Production Manager for the State Theatre and Technical Director for the Ithaca Ballet.